1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to digital signal processing. More specifically, the present invention relates to systems and methods for performing image segmentation using a plurality of functional units or modules, preferably implemented in an integrated electronic device, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).
2. Background of the Invention
Digital signal processing (DSP) is employed in many fields, one of which is image segmentation. Image segmentation is the ability to distinguish between, for example, an object of interest and a background, or another object that is not of interest. For example, image segmentation is often used in an image processing application that tracks or detects a particular object, such as lane markings on a road to perform automatic steering of a vehicle. In automatic steering, image processing must be rapid, especially if the vehicle is traveling at a relatively high speed.
Also, image processing in an automatic steering application preferably should be able to handle varying weather conditions and environments, such as rain, bright sunlight and night time driving. Such a range of possible driving conditions, however, poses significant problems to known image segmentation processes that rely on static processing techniques.